What I would like to see about this topic from a news standpoint? Independent confirmation. I would accept that in the form of a question being asked and answered in the Hasbro Q&A process. At least in that case we're getting a direct quote since it's Derryl that responds to the questions.

Hasbro Q & A sessions. November 9th. Internet. Be there.

So how many sites do you think are going to be asking that question? I'll lay odds on at least 5 or 6.

Man. Three already, and there are several sites that haven't even put up their Q & A's yet! I knew the internet wouldn't let us down.

JediTempleArchives. . .

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There was a report from Star Wars Fan Days in Texas that an AT-TE vehicle will be coming out in late 2008. Will this be part of the Clone Wars line? Will it be a main line offering shipping to mass retail? And can you give us some initial details about the vehicle itself (size, features, pack-ins, etc)?(JTA, 11/09/07)

We have not officially confirmed (despite reports from the Dallas show) that there will be at AT-TE in the line. We merely said that if we did it, it would have to be pretty big. Folks are reading between the lines at what we have said earlier, and that's fine, but it's a big vehicle to tackle and it's not 100% certain yet that we will be able to deliver. So....until we have officially confiirmed, which we hope will be Toy Fair time, it's still a wish list item. There are so many uncertainties with cost, etc. that we would also have to see what is left for a budget to see if a new driver could make it in or whether we would look to do a driver in a different pack.

Rebelscum. . .

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News of an AT-TE release next year spread like... well it spread really fast. Can you elaborate on this? Most of us have taken this information as gospel and already thanked the Almighty, but some are hesistant to get their hopes up. Any chance of an official announcement in the immediate future? Will this be a wide release or exclusive? We've heard it's big, that's outstanding news, but how big? How 'bout some rough measurements/dimensions to whet our appetites? How 'bout electronics, yay or nay? How much over $100 should we expect to pay? I suppose it's too early to expect any photos, but I'd be remiss not to request some. Also, what pack-ins are you considering?

We're hungry for info about this, and especially with regards to size and price, it'd be great to know as much as possible as soon as possible so we can budget for it, the kiddies can start saving, and those of us with space constraints can prepare to accomodate this.

Last little question, how well would this have to sell to convince you to crank out a Juggernaut Clone Turbo Tank or an MTT, or some other large vehicle in the years to come?(RS, 11/09/07)

We have not officially confirmed (despite reports from the Dallas show) that there will be at AT-TE in the line. We merely said that if we did it, it would have to be pretty big. Folks are reading between the lines at what we have said earlier, and that's fine, but it's a big vehicle to tackle and it's not 100% certain yet that we will be able to deliver. So....until we have officially confiirmed, which we hope will be Toy Fair time, it's still a wish list item.

There are so many uncertainties with cost, etc. that we would also have to see what is left for a budget to see if a new driver could make it in or whether we would look to do a driver in a different pack.

And this is my personal favorite. The Sandpoopers don't even bother asking for any details or further confirmation on the AT-TE itself--they just jump right to what type of pack-ins it will have. Awesome.

We have not officially confirmed (despite reports from the Dallas show) that there will be at AT-TE in the line. We merely said that if we did it, it would have to be pretty big. Folks are reading between the lines at what we have said earlier, and that's fine, but it's a big vehicle to tackle and it's not 100% certain yet that we will be able to deliver. So....until we have officially confiirmed, which we hope will be Toy Fair time, it's still a wish list item. There are so many uncertainties with cost, etc. that we would also have to see what is left for a budget to see if a new driver could make it in or whether we would look to do a driver in a different pack.

Nice job, 'Poops.

Hopefully a couple of the other sites will come through, to hopefully shed some more light on this developing situation. Stay tuned; we'll keep you informed.

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"The good news is that all that blood is actually ketchup. The bad news, however, is that all that ketchup is actually blood."

What will your perspective be if this thing is officially announced as coming out next year? Do you want to see it in the 2008 mix?

For myself, personally, I really don't care if it comes out or not. My overall enthusiasm for Star Wars (especially with anything prequel) has considerably diminished over the last couple of years, and I probably wouldn't buy one anyway.

But, for the hobby, and for the people that have really been wanting one, yeah, I think it would be absolutely fantastic if it comes out next year. If it comes out any year. I do think Hasbro's a bit damned-if-they-do, damned-if-they-don't, with it, though. They don't make it, people bitch that they should make it. They do make it, those same people bitch that it's too small/too expensive/too available/too limited/too exclusive/not the right deco/crappy pack-in/no electronics/too much electronics/what have you. You know what they say: "You can't please everybody, all the time--especially if those people are Star Wars collector nerds."

I know what you think, Chew': You think that because I bitch about other people bitching about the AT-TE, or other vehicles, or playsets, or whatever, that must mean that I'm against the AT-TE, or other vehicles, or playsets, or whatever. And that isn't the case at all. I want all those things to happen. I want people to get what they want. I want them to be happy with what they get. I want you to be able to get your $200 Random Death Star Hallway Playset, if that's what you want.

So no, I want all those things to happen. Believe me, I do. It's the bitching I could do without. Bitching for Hasbro to make something. Bitching at Hasbro after they make it because it's not absolutely perfect. Bitching at Hasbro like they don't know how to run their own business. Bitching at Hasbro like they're somehow "out to get" collectors. Bitching that Hasbro somehow "owes" them something.

All that bitching has gotten to be really ******* tiresome over the last few years, and that's what I have a problem with.

So I bitch.

« Last Edit: November 9, 2007, 11:14 PM by Matt »

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"The good news is that all that blood is actually ketchup. The bad news, however, is that all that ketchup is actually blood."

I'll just not buy it if it's so far out of scale it's noticeable... There's no exact dimension on it, so it's one of those things I feel has some wiggle room, but I'm just a scale Nazi so I'll be picky I'm afraid...

Bitching? So be it... But at least I won't buy it as my complaint. Vehicles I've found are easy things to pass on when I'm not content.

I'm a sucker when it comes to vehicles...always have been since the 80's mainly with Joes/Cobra, but I'd welcome this addition. I'm a bit dissapointed that Hasbro is still "tight lipped" about this...It's a freakin toy - who cares - spill the beans already. There's obiously going to be renewed focus on the CW line next year.

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Learn new skills at home that some consider to be.....unnatural. Easy repayment terms. 555-PLPTN

This is probably one of the more credible reports I've seen on this vehicle. If Derryl DePriest is saying this, it's got some merit.

If Derryl DePriest is saying this, you can consider it official.

The only place where I question this is that the person making the report from Sandtroopers did not elaborate more. No direct quotes, etc. I know who the writer is somewhat, but I know him only as a forum user and not a news guy that's covered previous events. He doesn't have a reporting track record that you can look back upon.

And this was thrown into a con report basically like an afterthought. A credible news report from Star Wars Fan Days would have generated a report specific to Hasbro. And news like this? It's cause for it's own article.

In the past Derryl DePriest has said that if the AT-TE plays a prominent role in this or that, we may see it in the line. He made comments to that effect at Celebration 4 when the Clone Wars trailer was shown, and the AT-TE was prominently featured.

What I would like to see about this topic from a news standpoint? Independent confirmation. I would accept that in the form of a question being asked and answered in the Hasbro Q&A process. At least in that case we're getting a direct quote since it's Derryl that responds to the questions.

And just a tangentially related question here: where were the Texas based JD guys on this show? It was reported a while ago that Hasbro would be at this show. I would think that's cause enough to send someone to cover the event if you've got personnel in the area. And while RS was there and provided some images from Hasbro, where's the reporting?

This is a case where I really wish I was not right. Hasbro totally backed off from the Sandtroopers report about the AT-TE in this Q&A session. In this case I think they're trying to be non-commital so that they don't raise expectations too high.

As with everything, it ain't official 'till it's official, so we shouldn't be surprised by Hasbro's noncommittal reply.

Agreed.

I think there is just enough in their answer though that says it's a distinct possibility for late 2008. I won't get my hopes up, but I'll be DAMN happy if it happens.

For the record, I don't care if it has electronics. I don't need a pack-in. I'm hoping the size is at least as long as the AT-AT (from head to tail) and half as high as the AT-AT. Poseable leg joints-knees and ankles. Working ball joint turrets (four in the front, two in the back) Room for two drivers in the cockpit (even if they have to stand as that can be hidden to a point with an instrumentation panel). flip-up sides similar to the upcoming AT-AP-which makes room for a clone on the port and starboard sides of both the fore and aft sections of the AT-TE. Since the middle part will have to have interior assemblage for the dorsal canon, I don't see it a "need" to have this section flip up-even though it would be cool as this is the area where it would be a trooper carrier, but again not neccessary.

So that means the AT-TE would hold a total of 7 clones. That's a very fair amount, IMO.

Since the legs can be done from two sets of molds (the front and back as one set of molds and the middle larger legs as another), that lessens costs, in very much the same way as it did for the AT-AT. So that just leaves the body as the complex part.

I REALLY think this can be sold for no more than $100. No electronics or pack-in figures will help keep that cost down. While it would be nice, is it REALLY neccessary? We've got so many clones right now that he AT-TE really doesn't need a special figure to entice people to buy it. If it doesn't sell based on it's own merits and for what it is, a figure isn't goign to be enough to get people to drop a Benjamin on it.

So while I said at the beginning of my post that I won't hold my breath, I will say that I'm cautiously optimistic.

-Sal

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I'm just a humble collector trying to make his way through the universe...of toy aisles."We are strong. We are resilient. We are American." - President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address 2010

No word there Rune, however somethign listed in Target's computer obviously doesn't dictate its exclusivity one way or another. The vehicle is too large to be part of an "assortment". Often times a battlepack for instance will show up as just a lone pack, and not "battlepack asst.", and when that happens then usually it is an exclusive... A good example would be "Ambush on Illum" as I believe it showed up as some abbreviated version of that name, and not "asst." at the end.

With the AT-TE, we will know I guess when we see more about it. Toy Fair perhaps?

Something that big, and for a huge multi-media event like CW, I'm guessing it's general release... This is just Target's numerical logging of it in their computer system is all.

I too, am curious how it'll turn out... I can already hear the begging from my girlfrend's son for one for X-Mas next year, heh.

The At-TE actually isn't a massive vehicle, but the rumors before said "larger than the AT-AT" which could be a fair size... It could actually technically come in at to-scale though, so I'm sorta curious what Hasbro's gonna go for with it.

Either way, if it's underscaled I won't buy it, but I'll still admire it being made... It's bound to be one of the bigger toys on the shelves next holiday I'm thinking. Yikes! How long has that been for the Star Wars line eh?